Golf club cart



Oct. 27, 1964 D. F. MccuNE, JR

GOLF CLUB CART 2 Shee's-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1963 z WN 2m IFW w C M W F. N W D M W Oct. 27, 1964 D, F. MccuNE, JR

GOLF CLUB CART 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1963 R W V m ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,154,314 GQF CLUB CART David F. McCune, Jr., 815 University Drive, Pocatello, Idaho Filed Feb. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 259,538 4 Claims. (Cl. 280-4719) This invention relates to a golf cart or caddy cart, of the type adapted to carry golf clubs and other implements, and to be pushed or pulled about by the golfer. In the main, such aids have comprised wheel-bearing axles, with platform and upright, in the general semblance of a load-bearing truck or dolly. Whereas, such devices have contemplated carrying a conventional golf bag, loaded with clubs, the device of the present invention provides racks for direct mounting of the clubs, and it is, therefore, one object of the invention to do away With the need for golf bags when using caddy carts. A related object is to keep the clubs as a whole, in full view at all times, and a still further object is to provide for removal of clubs without excessive Vertical movement. More particularly, it is object to provide for club removal almost wholly by lateral movement. In still greater particular it is an object to provide improved, resilient detent means in connection with lateral placement and removal of clubs. Yet another object is to provide a club-carrying rack system which permits improved storage space for other items.

These and other objects, which will be apparent, are attained by the present invention, a preferred form of which is described in the following specification, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the assembled caddy cart, showing two golf clubs in the racks,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the cart of FIGURE 2, partly in section, as seen along the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale, showing a detail of the upper rack of the cart,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a bracketed view, in perspective, showing, in exploded form, a cart having a detachable rack system.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown, in FIGURES 1-5, a caddy cart for golfers, in which the supporting vehicle comprises a main, tubular shaft 10, welded at its lower end to a perpendicularlydisposed axle 12, having reduced outer ends, 14, which journal the standard, rubber-tired Wheels 16.

Secured to axle 12, as by lines of welding, is the lower rack, indicated generally by the numeral 18, and which, as seen in FIGURE 2, is of one-piece construction, and which may be molded from suitable plastic. The main function of the lower rack 18 is to support the lower end of the inverted golf clubs, such as the driver 20 and the putter 22, and to this end the lower rack has a horseshoe-form shelf 24, with equi-spaced cavities 26 of U-form cross section, with outwardly-directed bights, spaced from the outer edge of shelf 24. The rack 18 has a continuous bottom 28, and rising therefrom, at the inner periphery of shelf 24, is a wall 30, which rises about shalf 24, and has an end portion 32 of U-section, mating with shelf 24, and a flat end 34, abutting shaft 10, and which may be secured thereto, for additional strength. The wall 30 defines a relatvely comrnodous compartment for carrying miscellaneous objects.

The upper rack, indicated generally by the numeral 36, is generally similar to the lower rack in that it is ice of horseshoe-form, but in lieu of cavities or wells such as 26, the shelf 38 of the upper rack has outwardly-open side notches 40, which may be described as generally ogival, with inner Wall Sections 42 (FIGURE 5), outwardly-diverging from an inner vertex, or trough 44, and parallel, outer wall sections 46. The latter, at their inner ends, are bored to receive detent pins 48, of rubbery material, which are arranged perpendicularly to surfaces 46, and extend inwardly from each to a point near the central plane of notch 40. The pins are designed to yield, by bending, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5, to permit lateral access of a club shaft into the notch, and to retain it there except against deliberately applied forces of removal. The pins 48 are conveniently secured in their mounting as by set screws 50, and are, therefore, replaceable.

Like the lower rack, upper rack 36 has a bottom 52, and a wall 54 on the inner periphery of the shelf 38, the wall in this case being shown as having the same height as shelf 38, and also as having a cover 56 secured by hinges 58. The compartment defined by the wall in the upper rack will be suitable for carrying balls, tees, and other small items, and the cover 56 is conveniently provided with a handle 60, and a spring clip 62, for holding a score card or pad.

The upper rack 36 has a triangular flange or web 64 depending from its bottom 52, and the rear edge of the web is in the form of a sleeve 66, by means of which the upper rack is mounted on cart shaft 10. Likewise, the lower rack 18 has a triangular bracket 68 depending from its bottom 28, and having a vertex 70, so located that when it is in contact with the ground, bottoms 28 and 52 are substantially horizontal, and shaft 10 Vertical.

As in the case of most conventional golf carts, the shaft 10 has a gooseneck section 72, and in the present case the handle portion has been made foldable, for compactness during periods when the cart is not being moved about. Thus, the terminal portion of the handle comprises a grip 74, gooseneck section 76, and a straight section 78, the latter being joined to the outer end of gooseneck section 72 by a swivelled couplng comprising a sleeve 80, on the said end of the gooseneck section, and a sleeve 82 on straight section 78, the sleeves having protruding flat Sections 81 and 83 swivelled together by a pivot pin 84. The sleeve may be secured to the respective tubes by any convenient means, such as the pins 86, and straight section 78 may be additionally provided with a hooked, inner end 88, to provide a stop which imparts parallelism to sleeves and 82.

FIGURE 6 illustrates how the upper and lower racks, 36 and 18, may be mounted on an existing type of cart, such as that shown in the figure, and indicated generally by the numeral 88, the lower rack being secured to a mounting plate on the cart, by means of screws 92, and the upper rack being secured to an adaptor plate 94 by screws 96, the adaptor plate, in turn, being secured to a plate 98 on the cart, by screws 100, secured by Wing nuts 102.

While a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described, Various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A caddy cart for golfers comprising an upright shaft with a handle portion, and a wheel-bearing aXle means, and a pair of racks carried by said shaft and comprsing a lower rack having a shelf of horseshoe form, with upwardly-opening cavities of U-form cross-section, with outwardly-disposed bights, spaced from the outer edge of said shelf, a wall section defining the inner extremities of said cavities, extending above said shelf and having a closed bottorn co-planar with the bottorn of said shelf, and an upper rack, of horseshoe form, with a series of notches ofgenerally ogival form arranged around its outer edge, a pair of aligned pins of rubbery material detachably secured in opposite walls of each of said notches and extending to a point near the mid-plane thereof, said upper rack having a central cavity of generally U-form section, and a closed bottom, a cover hinged to the top opening of said central cavity, and a handle and a spring clip'on said cover, a landing stop of triangular form carried by the frame at the underside of said lower rack, and having a vertex arranged to contact the ground, said shaft being in two Sections, a sleeve carried by each of said Sections, and a pivot pin connecting said sleeves, a pair of plates connected to said shaft, and said racks being detachably connected to said plates.

2. A caddy cart for golfers comprising an upright shaft with a handle portion, and a wheel-bearing axle, and a pair of racks carried by said shaft and comprising a lower rack having a shelf of horseshoe-orm, with upwardlyopen cavities of U-forrn cross-section, with outwardlydisposed bights, spaced from the outer edge of said shelf, V

a wall section defining the inner extremities of said cavities, extending above said shelf and having a closed bottom `co-planar with the bottom of said shelf, and an upper rack, of horseshoe-form, with a series of notches of generally ogival form arranged around its outer edge, a pairof aligned pins. of rubbery material detachably secured in opposite Walls of each of said notches and extending to a point near the mid-planerthereof, said upper rack having a central cavity of generally U-forrn section, and a closed bottom, a cover hinged to the top opening of said central cavity, and. a handle and a spring clip on said cover, a landing stop of triangular form carried by the underside of said lower rack, and having a vertex arranged to contact the ground, and an ntegral triangularrweb depending from said upper rack and having a sleeve received on said shaft.

3.' A caddy car-t for' golfers comprising an upright shaft with a handle portion, and a wheel-bearing axle, and a pair of racks carried by said shaft and comprising a .lower rack having a shelf of horseshoe-form, with upwardly-open cavities of U-form cross-section, with outwardly-disposed bights, spaced from the outerv edge of said shelf, a Wall section definingV the inner extrernities of Vsaid cavities, ex-

tending above said shelf and having a closed bottom coplanar with the bottom of said shelf, and an upper rack, of horseshoe-form, with a series of notches of generally ogival form arranged around its outer edge, a pair of aligned pins of rubbery material secured in opposite walls of each of said notches and extending to a point near the midplane thereof, said upper rack having a central cavity of generally U-form section, and a closed bottom, a cover hinged to the top opening of said central cavity, and a handle and a spring clip on said cover, and a landing stop of triangular form carried by the underside of said lower rack, and having a'vertex arranged to contact the ground.

4. A caddyV cart for golfers comprising an upright shaft with a handle portion, and a wheel-bearing' axle, and a pair of racks carried by said shaft and comprising a lower 'rack having a shelf of horseshoe-form, with upwardlyopen cavities of U-form cross-section, with outwardiy-disposed bights, spacedtfrorn the outer edge of said shelf, a wall section defining the inner extremities of said'cavities, extending above said shelf andhaving a closed bottom coplanar with the bottom of said shelf, andan upper rack, of horseshoe-form, with a series of divergent notches arranged around its outer edge, a pair Vof aligned pins ofrubbery material secured in opposite Walls of each ofv said notches and extending to a point near the mid-plane thereof, said upper rack having a central cavity of generally U- form section, vand a closed bottom, a cover hinged tothe top opening of sai'd central cavity, and a handle and a spring clip on said cover.

References Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 658,042 Mendel Sept. 18, 1900 699,391 Johnson May' 6, 1902 2,024,484 Smith Dec. 17, 1935 2,248,916 Opper July 8, 1941 2,570,504 Van House' Oct; 9, 1951 2,635`,893' Johnson Apr. 21, 1953 2,757,012 Leffler July 31, 1956 2,774,403` Williamson Dec. 18, 1956 2,835,'5()3v Humphrieset al'. May 20, 1958 2,842,373 Duerr July 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 660,840 Great Britain Nov.V 14, 1951 

4. A CADDY CART FOR GOLFERS COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT SHAFT WITH A HANDLE PORTION, AND A WHEEL-BEARING AXLE, AND A PAIR OF RACKS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT AND COMPRISING A LOWER RACK HAVING A SHELF OF HORSESHOE-FORM, WITH UPWARDLYOPEN CAVITIES OF U-FORM CROSS-SECTION, WITH OUTWARDLY-DISPOSED BIGHTS, SPACED FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID SHELF, A WALL SECTION DEFINING THE INNER EXTREMITIES OF SAID CAVITIES EXTENDING ABOVE SAID SHELF AND HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM COPLANAR WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELF, AND AN UPPER RACK, OF HORSESHOE-FORM, WITH A SERIES OF DIVERGENT NOTCHES ARRANGED AROUND ITS OUTER EDGE, A PAIR OF ALIGNED PINS OF RUBBERY MATERIAL SECURED IN OPPOSITE WALLS OF EACH OF SAID NOTCHES AND EXTENDING TO A POINT NEAR THE MID-PLANE THEREOF, SAID UPPER RACK HAVING A CENTRAL CAVITY OF GENERALLY UFORM SECTION, AND A CLOSED BOTTOM, A COVER HINGED TO THE 